[The Fall of the Corrupt]
Inside a tent set up in front of the National Assembly, Assemblyman Park Taeseok lay prone. His face was pale, his body gaunt. It was his fourth day of a hunger strike; given his age, he was already reaching his limit. Just then, a barrage of questions from reporters poured in from outside.
"Assemblyman Park! How long do you intend to continue this hunger strike?"
Assemblyman Park Taeseok replied slowly in a weak voice.
"Until justice stands upright. I will continue this struggle, even if it costs me my life."
A reporter next to him followed up with a question.
"Assemblyman! The ruling party has criticized this as a show to deceive the public. What are your thoughts on that?"
"I am Park Taeseok, a member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea, elected by the people. Deceive the people? How could I? I am conducting this hunger strike to set the justice and rule of law of this country straight."
It was while the Q&A session between the reporters and the Assemblyman was continuing like that.
Beep-beep-beep!
A reporter's cell phone rang loudly. The reporter looked flustered and quickly turned it off.
"S-sorry! I'm so sorry!"
But that was only the beginning.
Beep-beep-beep! Beep-beep-beep! Beep-beep-beep!
Like dominoes, the reporters' cell phones began to ring in a chain reaction.
"Huh? What is this?"
The reporters began to check their phones while glancing at each other. As they confirmed the contents, confusion flashed across their faces, soon replaced by sharp, piercing glares. Their gazes turned in unison toward Assemblyman Park Taeseok.
"Assemblyman. According to information just received, you are involved in large-scale real estate speculation. Is this true?"
Before Park could even open his mouth, another reporter cut in.
"There are also allegations of bribery. They say you received billions of won from construction companies; how do you explain this?"
Park stammered.
"What? Wh-what are you talking about right now? I have never done such a thing. It is groundless."
Yet another reporter jumped in.
"There are also suspicions of soliciting favors for public enterprise appointments. Specifically, there is a tip-off that you installed your own daughter in a director position. What are your thoughts on this?"
The air, which had been warm just moments ago, turned icy cold.
'H-how do they know all that?!'
Secrets that were supposed to be taken to the grave were spilling out of the reporters' mouths.
'I even finished laundering the money using borrowed-name accounts!'
"Th-those are all misunderstandings. I don't remember."
Park's voice was trembling. That was when it happened.
Suddenly, there was a commotion outside the tent.
"This is the Prosecution! Move aside! We are in the middle of official duties!"
Assemblyman Park Taeseok's gaze turned toward the entrance. Men in black suits swarmed in. Then, camera flashes began to pop in rapid succession.
"It's a scoop!"
"Then that means everything could be true?"
"Hey, call the section chief quickly! We have to be the first to break this news!"
The reporters' hands began to move frantically. Meanwhile, Prosecutor Jang Taepung walked up to Park and showed his official identification.
"I am Jang Taepung from the Special Investigation Department of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office. I am placing you under emergency arrest on charges of real estate speculation, bribery, and abuse of power."
"What the hell are you doing! Do you know who I am? Do you even know who I am?!"
Park resisted violently. Jang Taepung whispered into Park Taeseok's ear.
"You bastard, do you still think you're a National Assemblyman? Hey. You're screwed. So just follow us while I'm asking nicely."
Two investigators approached and grabbed Park Taeseok by both arms.
"Wait a minute! This is illegal!"
The aide tried to stop them in a hurry, but it was helpless. Eventually, Assemblyman Park Taeseok was dragged out of the tent.
"I'm innocent! I'm innocent! This is a conspiracy! The government is framing me to cover up their own crimes!"
It was an ending that suited the concept of poetic justice.
Ohsung Group's research laboratory. Research Director Lee Yunseong watched the elevator with a nervous expression. When the doors opened, Chairman Baek Giseong appeared. Behind him, the executives also revealed themselves. His cold gaze scanned the laboratory. Lee Yunseong gulped and opened his mouth.
"Welcome. I am Research Director Lee Yunseong."
"Never mind the greetings. You said you came up with a decent item?"
At Baek Giseong's firm voice, Lee Yunseong quickly guided them to where the items were stored. He pointed to the bags kept inside glass cases and spoke.
"These are prototypes made from Minotaur leather. If you carry this bag, the user's strength increases by +2 and stamina by +4. It's an effect where the monster's characteristics are transferred to the user."
Baek Giseong nodded.
"Interesting."
Encouraged by the positive expression, Lee Yunseong continued.
"The most surprising point is that a subspace function has been added. Unfortunately, only one out of the ten prototypes currently has the subspace function."
Baek Giseong's eyebrows rose.
"Subspace, you say?"
"That is correct. It provides ten times the capacity of this small bag, yet surprisingly, the weight does not increase at all."
"Amazing."
A warm smile spread across Baek Giseong's lips. This item was truly astonishing. To think that carrying this bag, which looked like an ordinary backpack, could grant such abilities. And it wasn't limited to hunters. Ordinary people could use it too. Plus, ten times the capacity of this small backpack. There were only a handful of people in the entire world who had learned the Inventory skill. And yet, a bag with a similar skill. This was the very innovation he had been craving so much.
That was when it happened.
"Chairman, I would like to present this product with the subspace technology applied as a gift to you."
In an instant, Baek Giseong's gaze changed. The smile that had been brushing his face vanished, and his expression filled with cold fury.
"What did you say?!"
Baek Giseong's voice growled low. Lee Yunseong turned pale as he realized his mistake, but it was already too late. Baek Giseong walked toward him slowly.
"Have I gone senile? What kind of nonsense is a mere research director spouting right now?!"
Baek Giseong's voice was as cold as ice, and burning rage was blooming in his eyes.
"I-I'm sorry. I made a mistake."
"It doesn't look like you said it by mistake? Have you done this before?"
"..."
"It's a spectacle to see you blabbering as if this were your own. Do you think that just because you're the research director, everything made here belongs to you? You've gone completely insane. This isn't yours; it's the company's property purchased with company money!"
"I'm sorry, Chairman."
However, Baek Giseong's anger did not subside easily. He shouted at the secretary standing next to him.
"Fire this bastard immediately! Get him out of here so he can't set foot in this industry ever again. Oh! And before that, strip him down and check everything. If he's acting like this to me, it's unlikely this is the first time he's siphoned off goods."
The blood drained from Lee Yunseong's face. Baek Giseong's mouth opened again. He tried to kneel and apologize, but Baek Giseong didn't even look at him. Thus, Lee Yunseong was dragged out by the staff, and only silence lingered in the laboratory. The employees looked at him, reading the room. Baek Giseong let out a long sigh. Did they still not understand the situation? They were no longer the absolute authority. And this item before his eyes wasn't created solely by Ohsung Group's unique technology. The material of the item itself was unique. That meant something. It meant that the hunter who could obtain such leather was just as important. And Baek Giseong was someone who could never fail to know that.
"Schedule a meeting with Cheon Yooshin. I have to see him myself."
He had to build a connection with the hunter who could obtain this item. Even one day sooner than anyone else.
Park Jaehyeong could see a man glaring at him and spewing profanity.
"Who are you?"
At the sudden commotion, everyone's gaze turned toward Kim Jeonghyeon, who was filled with rising irritation. Kim Jeonghyeon glared at Lee Eunsoo as if he would kill him, then called for Assistant Manager Joo.
"Y-you've arrived, Team Leader."
"Hey, who is that bastard?"
"Ah. That is Park Jaehyeong, who is serving as the Manufacturing Team Leader."
Park Jaehyeong had joined Cheomdan Happy Industry at the age of 20. His influence, built over a long tenure, transcended his rank, and his connections were no joke. There wasn't a single person, from the directors holding shares to the elderly team managers, who hadn't shared a drink with him. However, Kim Jeonghyeon, who hadn't been with the company long, naturally didn't recognize Lee Eunsoo. He hadn't even been coming to work properly since he joined.
"Damn it, did you see or not see what that Manufacturing Team Leader bastard is doing right now?"
Then, a sense of panic appeared on Assistant Manager Joo's face.
"Oh? So you knew."
It was absurd. Meanwhile, Park Jaehyeong noticed the situation and put on a servile smile.
"Oh, you were the Planning Team Leader. I didn't recognize you. I'll pour you a drink..."
Kim Jeonghyeon's gaze turned sharp.
"Won't you shut that dirty mouth?"
The privilege that the status of being the company's successor gave him was clear. But even that privilege had clear limits. Harassing a female employee was clearly crossing that line. Kim Jeonghyeon thought that using one's rank to touch a woman was no different from being absolute trash. And yet, a mere team leader, and a Manufacturing Team Leader at that, was doing such a thing? And the Planning Team members were overlooking it?
Park Jaehyeong's expression also hardened. He was starting to get angry because a guy who looked 20 years younger than him kept calling him "this bastard, that bastard."
"Isn't that going too far! Even if you are the President's son, you shouldn't do that."
"Ha! Are you trying to lecture me right now? But why are you so confident?"
Kim Jeonghyeon scoffed at Park Jaehyeong's protest. Then he shouted.
"You're fired. Don't come out tomorrow, just rest at home, you hear? If you don't like it, go report it to the Labor Office or something."
"Pwahahaha! Are you firing me right now?"
"Yeah, so just rest at home."
A smile spread across Park Jaehyeong's lips. As if a pathetic guy was picking a fight.
"Can you handle it? Even a worm will squirm if stepped on."
Handle it? Did you just say handle it to me? A mere work foreman? What was he so confident about? And look at this guy? I'm the one who's better at causing trouble.
"Hey, Assistant Manager Joo, report it to the police right now. Tell them you caught a sexual harasser."
"T-Team Leader. If this gets into the news, the stock price will drop. Th-the President won't just stand by."
Assistant Manager Joo's face turned white. Lately, since they had only recently listed on the stock market, President Kim Ilsun had been working hard to improve the company's image. In such a situation, an incident related to sexual harassment floating around the stock market? A stock price crash was the natural sequence of events. Park Jaehyeong also frowned deeply.
"Are you really going to go this far? It's just a light matter. A light matter. Why are you acting like this among people who know each other well?"
"I don't know you, you bastard. And I'm going to do more? Are there only one or two witnesses here? Looking at it, it seems like more victims will come out if I dig."
There wasn't a single employee who could stop the unhinged, foul-mouthed Kim Jeonghyeon.